Forget 90s Kids! How Well Do You Remember The 00s?
- by Kevin Stewart
- – on
- in Lifestyle
The turn of the millennium seventeen years ago saw the introduction of a new decade that, like any other before it, had its own extremely distinctive characteristics.
Fashion was a heady mix of trends from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, movies started using computer-generated imagery more than ever before, while documentaries and mockumentaries were very prominent, reality television dominated the small screen, music became widely accessible in unprecedented ways on the internet, and the Olympic Games were held in Sydney, Athens and Beijing.
There were, of course, some tragic events and downsides to the first decade of the new millennium. The September 11th attacks were the worst terrorist acts in recorded history, the threat of nuclear war increased exponentially with the building of more nuclear weapons, wars were waged in Afghanistan and a number of other countries, and Hurricane Katrina was one of many devastating natural disasters to hit the planet.
All of that information (and the rest of it) makes for some intriguing quiz questions, so let's test your knowledge of the 2000s right now. How well do you remember the 2000s?
Which year did Barack Obama become President of the United States?
Barack Obama has recently left office to make way for the... let's say "controversial" figure that is Donald Trump. Obama was the first ever black president in United States history, which broke boundaries and means he will forever be remembered as a pioneer and innovator. While Trump works hard to destroy Obama's legacy, it will remain, as it is one of grace, self-deprecating humour and sensitivity to America's biggest concerns. But can you remember which year Obama became President of the United States?
Which model of iPod was this?
Ushering in the age of digital media, the iPod has been one of the most popular and fashionable gadgets of the new millennium. As of 2017, Apple no longer manufactures them (apart from the iPod Touch, that is), but there have been many models since the original was first put on sale to the public. But do you know what the name of this particular model is? It came in many colours, but we've opted to show you a green one.
Which British singer featured on Eminem's single "Stan"?
Whether you're a fan of rap, hip-hop, horrorcore or Eminem himself or not, it's impossible to deny that 2001's Stan is a work of genius. It told the story of an obsessive fan of Eminem's, called Stanley "Stan" Mitchell, who got progressively angrier as his letters to his idol continued to (seemingly) be ignored. In the end, Stan killed himself and his girlfriend in an act of protest against Eminem's ignorance - just prior to the rapper getting round to responding. But which British singer featured on this single?
Who was everybody's first friend on MySpace?
Facebook ushered in a new internet era. Connectivity was suddenly all the rage, with websites using Facebook as a valid login system. For most people, it's a convenient way to keep all their social networks in one place since Facebook can be easily connected to most platforms, including Twitter, and Instagram, which it now owns. Before that however, there was MySpace and it was... absolutely awful. People ranked their friends, had music blaring on their pages, and absolutely awful and cringey designs. Everybody also started on with the same first friend. Who was it?
When was the first iPod released?
The iPod has been one of the most popular and fashionable gadgets of the new millennium (and there have been A LOT of gadgets in the new millennium!). As of 2017, Apple has discontinued the manufacturing of every single model of iPod apart from the iPod Touch, but there have been many models over the years. But can you remember when the first model was released? It was originally known just as the iPod, but is now known as the iPod classic.
What was the name of this television show?
One of the most popular television shows of the 2000s was undoubtedly this teen drama series. It aired from 2003 to 2007 and focused on a troubled but tough young man by the name of Ryan Atwood. Atwood was from a broken home and was adopted by the affluent and philanthropic couple Sandy and Kirsten Cohen in Orange County, California. It starred the likes of Benjamin McKenzie, Peter Gallagher, Kelly Rowan, Mischa Barton and Adam Brody. But what was the name of this television show?
What was the third Lord of the Rings movie called?
The Lord of the Rings trilogy was one of the biggest movie franchises of the 2000s. The three movies in the trilogy were released in 2001, 2002 and 2003 respectively and, collectively, they grossed a massive $2.92 billion at the global box office. All three of them are in the top 15 grossing movies of the 2000s and the third movie is the sixteenth highest-grossing movie of all time. But can you remember what the full title of that third movie was?
What were these dolls called?
In 2001, four original 10-inch dolls with the names Yasmin, Cloe, Jade and Sasha were released. They had almond-shaped eyes and had eye shadow and extremely glossy lips. It was the beginning of a hugely popular franchise. The franchise spawned several animated direct-to-DVD movies, a live action theatrical movie, animated television shows, reality television shows and web series. But do you know what these dolls - which are still very popular with young girls to this day - were actually called?
Which of these consoles wasn't released in the 2000s?
The 2000s was undoubtedly the decade in which gaming really started to make the step up to the levels of realism we see so regularly today in modern consoles - and some truly iconic consoles were released in the decade. Sixth and seventh generation consoles hit shelves en masse around the world. But do you know which of these consoles was not released in the 2000s? Was it the Nintendo Wii, the Sony PlayStation 2, the Sega Dreamcast or the Nintendo GameCube (pictured)?
Which year was the WWF Invasion storyline?
When Vince McMahon bought out both WCW and ECW, it enabled the WWF (as it was called back then) to feature a story in which wrestlers from WCW and ECW invaded WWF. It was (unsurprisingly) called "The Invasion" and a pay-per-view of the same name took place, which saw WWF wrestlers facing wrestlers from "The Alliance" (WCW and ECW's collective name) in a series of matches - including a five-on-five match featuring the biggest stars in each faction. But can you remember which year this story actually took place in the WWF?
What was this documentary film called?
As we touched upon in the introduction to this quiz, feature length documentaries and mockumentaries were extremely popular in the 2000s. This one, which was filmed over the course of a month in 2003, was released in 2004. In that month in 2003, the documentary's star - independent filmmaker Morgan Spurlock - ate nothing but McDonald's and had to go "Super Size" any time he was asked if he'd like to. The movie showed the effects on his body and mind of McDonald's food. But can you remember what this fascinating documentary was called?
Which villain did Liam Neeson play in Batman Begins?
2005's Batman Begins was the first movie in Christopher Nolan's brilliant Dark Knight Trilogy. The franchise starred Christian Bale as the titular Batman AKA Bruce Wayne - and there were some memorable villains in the franchise who went up against him. The late Heath Ledger famously played The Joker in 2008's The Dark Knight and Tom Hardy notably portrayed Bane in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises. But do you know which Batman villain was played by Taken star Liam Neeson in Batman Begins?
What was this horrible fad called?
In the 2000s, the use of cell/mobile phones became commonplace around the world. With the increase in use came a dramatic improvement in the technology. Phones began to include video recording capabilities, as well as countless other uses, which has resulted in them evolving into the smartphones we used today. Sadly, this resulted in some terrible fads - including one in which people would record their acquaintances bullying and hitting other people, just for their own morbid entertainment. What was this horrible fad called?
In which round did Lennox Lewis KO Mike Tyson?
On the 8th of June in 2002, one of the biggest boxing matches of all time took place at The Pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee. Two legendary heavyweight fighters in the heavyweight division - Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson - took to the ring to battle it out for Lewis' IBF, IBO and WBC world titles. Lewis would come out of the fight victorious, having knocked a clearly past-his-best Tyson out. But can you remember which round Lewis ended the fight in?
What was the name of this snack?
As you undoubtedly all know, Doritos are a brand of flavoured tortilla chips that have been produced since 1964 by Frito-Lay which is, in turn, a major subsidiary of PepsiCo. Doritos are delicious and one of the most popular and enjoyed snacks around the world. In the 2000s, a different kind of Doritos were introduced (in the year 2000, to be exact), but was discontinued before the end of the decade. They were described as "Doritos-meets-Bugles". What was the name of this snack?
True or False: The iPod Touch had cellphone capabilities
In 2007, Apple released the very first iPod, which is widely known as the very first smartphone. They started a trend that has led us into the smartphone era with Android, Apple, Windows all vying for their place at the top of the pile. Many people remember the absolutely insanity that came with the release, with the iPhone selling out in an hour in some places. Apple later released the iPod touch, one of the last in the line of iPods, in order to help with demand. Could it make calls?
Whose origin story is Smallville about?
Smallville was one of the most popular television shows of the 2000s. The premise of the show was simple - it depicted the early life of a certain DC Comics character in the town of Smallville, in a coming of age origin story. It starred Tom Welling in the lead role and also featured the likes of Kristin Kreuk, Michael Rosenbaum, and Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan. But can you remember which hero Smallville, the original CW hero show, was about?
Which of these was a popular chat platform before Smartphones?
Believe it or not, Smartphones didn't really come into popular use until late in the naughts. The first iPhone was only launched in 2007, which Android and Windows phones having to wait their turn. People did have Blackberries back then, but even those piggy-backed on popular chat programs that we still called applications. Texting was expensive and data was even more expensive, so l33t speak was actually somewhat economical. It's when most of the popular acronyms we all use today were born. LOL brb!
Where did Tony Stark get kidnapped to in Iron Man?
Robert Downey Jr. returned to the world of blockbuster cinema in 2008 with a starring role in Iron Man. It was a controversial casting at the time, but it has since proven to be a brilliant one, as his debut as Tony Stark signalled the start of something massive in the form of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie saw the titular hero being captured while he was in a certain country selling his company's weapons. He went onto escape, however. But which country was he kidnapped in?
Which year was the PlayStation 3 released?
A number of sixth generation consoles such as the Xbox (2001) and Nintendo GameCube (2001) were released in the 2000s, whilst a number of seventh generation consoles such as the Xbox 360 (2005), PlayStation 3 (2006), PlayStation Portable (2005) and Nintendo DS (2004) hit the shelves of stores around the world as well. The PlayStation 3 actually caused riots in some places, with stock being so low that even people were early to line up, they couldn't get one. There were similar issues with the Wii and the iPhone.
Which year did Michael Jackson die?
In the 2000s, the "King of Pop" himself - Michael Jackson - passed away, after suffering a cardiac arrest, which was caused by acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication. Jackson was one of the most successful performing artists of all time, in any genre, and his hits included the likes of Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Billie Jean, Thriller and Bad. He left behind three children - Michael Jackson Jr., Paris Jackson and Bigi Jackson (formerly Blanket Jackson). But can you remember which year Michael Jackson passed away?
What is the name of this Blizzard MMORPG video game?
Having originated in the mid-to-late 1990s, MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) became incredibly popular in the 2000s. The genre is still popular today and is a mixture of role-playing video games and massively multiplayer online games. In said games, a huge number of players are able to interact with each other in various ways (chatting, trading, fighting etc) within a virtual world. But do you know which MMORPG this is? Hint: This game was released in 2001 and the series is still going today.
Who voiced Remy in Ratatouille?
Ratatouille was a brilliant 2008 movie by Pixar Animation Studios. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 2007 Oscars - and with good reason. It featured a young, idealistic and ambitious rat who went by the name of Remy. Remy was gifted with extremely strong senses of taste and smell and he wanted to become a chef. The movie followed his journey as he attempted to do exactly that. But can you remember who voiced Remy in the movie?
What was the name of this toy?
In the year 2000, one of the most popular toys at Christmas was this particular child's toy - which was a form of scooter that was compact and cost less than $100. More than 5 million of them sold in the first six months following its initial release. Its success resulted in it being named the Toy of the Year in 2001. But what was it called? What is the name of the scooter being ridden by the child in the picture?
Who won the first season of American Idol?
The 2000s saw the rise to prominence of the TV talent show. Around the world, the likes of The X Factor, Pop Idol and the [Insert country's name] Got Talent shows are just three examples of the kind of show we're talking about here that began in the 2000s. American Idol first aired back in 2002, with its first season's full title being American Idol: The Search for a Superstar. They certainly found one, but can you remember which of these contestants was the winner of the first season of American Idol?
Who was Tom Cruise dating that made him so happy?
In April of 2005, Tom Cruise announced that he had started dating a certain popular actress who happened to be quite a lot younger than him. On April the 27th that same year, Cruise and and his new partner - who were given a combined name in the mould of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's "Brangelina" name - appeared together publicly for the first time in Rome. On The Oprah Winfrey Show a month later, Cruise declared his love for the lady in question when he famously jumped for joy on Oprah's couch. Who was Cruise dating to make him so happy?
What was Sam Worthington's character named in Avatar?
2009's Avatar is, of course, the highest-grossing movie of all time. Including its re-release in 2010, the movie has grossed a humongous $2.788 billion worldwide. James Cameron's epic science fiction masterpiece was an absolutely fantastic piece of cinema and was famously nominated for no less than nine Academy Awards. Its main star was Sam Worthington, who played a human whose mind was implanted into an alien body. But what was the name of the character played by Sam Worthington in Avatar?
What was this Heroes character called?
In 2006, a television series described as being a psychological thriller science fiction drama hit screens around the world. It told the story of a group of seemingly ordinary people who discovered that they actually possessed extraordinary powers and abilities, such as super-strength, amazing regenerative healing powers and telepathy. The main villain of the show was played by Zachary Quinto. His character was able to steal the powers of other characters. His real name was Gabriel Gray, but he went by a pseudonym. What was that pseudonym?
True or False: Only people with student emails could access Facebook at first
The 2000s was the decade that saw the rise of the digital phenomenon that is social media. Facebook was undoubtedly the most popular social media platform of the decade. Mark Zuckerberg and his fellow Harvard College students, friends and roommates Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, Chris Hughes and Andrew McCollum launched it - and the rest is history. Facebook now has more than 2000 employees, 2 billion active users and Zuckerberg is one of the richest men alive. But what year was Facebook launched?
Who won the first season of Dancing with the Stars?
Television talent competitions were very popular in the 2000s. That, of course, included television dancing competitions - the most prominent of which was undoubtedly Dancing with the Stars. The first season of Dancing with the Stars aired back in 2005 and featured only six contestants in what was clearly a trial run for the show - including the likes of professional heavyweight boxer Evander Holyfield and supermodel and actress Rachel Hunter. But can you remember who won that season of Dancing with the Stars?
What was the third X-Men movie called?
The X-Men franchise launched in the year 2000 with the brilliant X-Men and was followed in 2003 by X2: X-Men United. In 2006, the third movie was released. It focused on Magneto's recruitment of Jean Grey and the X-Men's battle with his newly-bolstered Brotherhood of Mutants, which culminates with an epic final fight on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. The battle came to an end when Wolverine was forced to kill Jean Grey in her powerful Phoenix form. But what was the third X-Men movie called?
Which year was Twitter launched?
Of course, Facebook wasn't the only social media platform launched in the 2000s - not by a long way, in fact. Amongst the other social media platforms that were launched in that same decade was Twitter. Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Evan Williams and Biz Stone created Twitter and it now has around 4000 employees and is well on the way to having 400 million users. But can you remember which year of the 2000s Twitter was actually launched in?
Which of these Hollywood actresses appeared in Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
Having first aired in 1997, Buffy the Vampire Slayer continued to air until 2003 - becoming one of the most popular television shows of the early 2000s in the process. Many actors who are now A-listers appeared in small roles in the show. In this case, the actress really made her role her own and became a break out star, doing movies and starring in a similarly successful sit-com just years after the final episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Who was it?
Who directed the Spider-Man trilogy?
The Spider-Man trilogy was one of the main reasons the superhero movie genre is so popular to this day. It took the genre to new levels and attracted a whole new audience. Spider-Man was released in 2002, Spider-Man 2 was released in 2004 and Spider-Man 3 was released in 2007. Tobey Maguire famously starred as the titular hero, who is otherwise known as the mild-mannered student and Daily Bugle photographer Peter Parker. But can you remember who directed the Spider-Man movie trilogy?
What was this hybrid vehicle called?
In the 2000s, the hybrid vehicle market became more and more popular - particularly in and around the middle of the decade. Hybrid vehicles - which are so called because they use two or more distinct forms of power to run - underwent major advances. These advances were notably typified by cars like the Ford Escape and the Honda Insight. The most popular, however, was undoubtedly this particular car - which actually became very popular in the celebrity world. What was this hybrid vehicle called (2004 model shown here)?